Jaipur: Jaipur Literature Festival’s 11th edition, as expected is witnessing high voltage drama because of the present political and social situation of India. For the first time Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje did not turn up for the inauguration, and the Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Prasoon Joshi, had to pull out of the event. Joshi, a regular at JLF, was threatened by Karni Sena for giving a clearance to Padmaavat movie. However, from its first day, January 25 to its third, many national and international celebrities from different walk of life, right from Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain to actors like Nawazuddin Siddique, Nandita Das, filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj, politicians Salman Khurshid and youth leaders like Gurmehar Kaur, to authors like Ashok Vajpai, Hansda Sowendra Shekhar, politician cum author Shashi Tharoor, Mridula Behari had sessions at JLF so far. And as expected a huge crowd turned up to listen to their favourite celebs and speakers. Photo credit: Chandra Mohan Aloria
Inauguration of 11th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival
Mridula Behari at the launch of her book ‘ Padmini’ The Sprited Queen of Chittor
Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain at the literary meet
Former Rajasthan Governor Margret Alva also spotted during the inauguration
Young literature lovers browsing through the JLF schedule
Author and activist Gurmehar Kaur speaking her mind
Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai having a point
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Nandita Das speaking about their film Manto
Crowd at the session of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Nandita
Nawazuddin waves out to his fans
Former Union Minister Salman Khurshid as an audience
Singer Kailash Khair performing at the cultural fest of JLF
Kolkata/Sambalpur: Thirty-six-year-old Jignesh Thakkar, a businessman from Shyambazar area will start making the rounds of areas in the vicinity of his residence, collecting the National Flag (s) lying on the streets after the Republic Day celebration is over. It’s not the first time that he will be doing so. Jignesh has been doing so for the past five years.
Man on a Mission
Speaking to eNewsroom, he says, “We celebrate Republic Day and Independence Day with such pomp, but once the celebration is over, we leave the flags strewn all over the streets. I was disturbed by this disrespect. So, five years back, I took a call. I would set out on the streets of Shyambazar, Maniktalla, MG Road Crossing among others with an empty box clamped on to my bike. I collect or pick up flags lying on the streets or other unlikely places, irrespective of it being clean or dirty. Once I am done with the collection, take them to a quiet place and retire them in accordance with the Flag Code of India, 2002.”
With Jignesh posting pictures of him doing the needful to the National Flags once the celebration is over, his work was not just appreciated by many but a couple of enthusiastic youths got in touch with him, expressing their desire to work with him as a team. “Many youths contacted me on messenger wanting to participate in this bi-annual ritual of mine. It’s really heartening to see a couple of them replicating the same,” said Jignesh, who has even sent out a public message to the people of Kolkata to assemble near Shyambazar crossing at 4 am sharp on January 27 to do some service to the nation.
Inspiring Fellow Indians
Sheikh Imran, a Kolkata-based banking professional, and a classmate of Jignesh was inspired by him and will be joining him to retire the National Flag with respect. He says, “I was immensely inspired by Jignesh and have joined him in this mission of his since August 15, 2017. We now have a small team. We meet near Shyambazar and then split into smaller groups visiting different areas to collect the flags strewn on the streets. It makes the collection easier. Once we have collected the flags in a box, we set off to an undisclosed place to retire the flags with dignity.”
Jignesh and his team members collecting flags
It’s not just Imran, but also Sambalpur’s Firoz Ashraf, who will be out with his group on the streets of Sambalpur collecting flags. He says, “We will particularly be visiting parade ground and schools once the Republic Day celebrations are over to collect the flags left behind on the streets. I think Indians need to be sensitized about our National Flag. We can’t just salute it during the celebration and then leave it lying on the floor. Where does our nationalism disappear? Why don’t we collect it and retire it in a proper way.”
Plastic Flags a Menace
The biggest concern for these men is the plastic flags, which sold in scores during Independence Day and Republic Day. “It is very difficult to retire the plastic flags. It’s good that the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a ban on plastic flags. But whether people will pay heed to the directive, only time will tell. We have tried sensitizing people about not using plastic flags, but it hasn’t really helped. We are hopeful of the government directive bringing about the change, but we will get to the ground reality when we go for the flag collection on January 27´summed up Jignesh.
Right Way to Retire the National Flag
Most of these men who set to collect flags post Independence and Republic Day celebration feel that most Indians lack the awareness when it comes to retiring the National flag. “It’s best to use traditional flags made of cloth. These can be washed and reused unlike the plastic ones, which are harmful to the environment too,” says Jignesh.
However, on being asked to elaborate on the method, he didn’t reveal much. But a little bit of research on the internet reveals that according to Part II-2.2(xiii) clause of the Flag Code, a damaged or soiled flag needs to collected and destroyed in private, preferably by burning after being placed in a box. Burying is another option, however, one needs to understand that burying may lead to resurfacing.
Ranchi/Giridih: Karni Sena, being vehemently criticized for attacking a school bus filled with children in Gurugram, hit another low today, when they threatened Giridih’s BJP MLA Nirbhay Shahabadi and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Giridih Vijaya Jadhav, with dire consequences while protesting the release of Padmaavat in Giridih, Jharkhand. They were seen threatening to burn the duo alive. The guy who was seen spitting verbal venom was later seen disrespecting the national flag by lying down on road with the tricolour. Giridih is around 200 kilometres away from Ranchi.
Padmaavat, one of the most controversial movies of recent times was scheduled to release nationwide on January 25. Swaran Chitra Mandir, a cinema hall owned by Shahabadis, the family to which the Giridih MLA belongs to, was also scheduled to screen the film, hence workers belonging to Karni Sena gathered near the cinema hall demanding the film not to be screened. Shahabadi family has a strong Bollywood connect. They made a name with hit Bollywood film Nadiya Ke Paar.
Also the fact that Nirbhay Shahabadi is a two time MLA, didn’t stop the fringe elements from disrupting law and order. “We will burn Shahabadi and his family alive if they dare to run the movie,” threatened a Karni Sena protestor.
But he did not stop there. “We will also burn the SDM Vijaya Jadhav. And no one will come to their aid or cry for them,” screamed the agitator. He was seen abusing the lady IAS officer along with Shahabadi.
Vijaya Jadhav, a 2015 batch IAS and has conducted several raids to contain illegal activities in the town, right from being appointed as the SDM, Giridih. But, recently, she came under attack for not allowing high decibel Disc Jockey (DJ) music being played during Saraswati Puja. She was criticised for her stand by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and many other right-wing organizations. And many believe that today’s threat could be an extension of it.
Padmaavat, a period film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been facing opposition from Karni Sena, across India, as they believe that film is a distortion of history, where the honour of Rajput queen Padmini alias Padmavati is being compromised on. When the film was being shot in Jaipur, they had not only vandalized the film set up but had also slapped the director Bhansali. They also threatened to chop of actor Deepika Padukone’s nose. Padukone plays the titular role in the film. They had also vandalized a beautiful rangoli made by an artist Karan K while the film was being promoted in Gujarat mall.
Kolkata/Texas: After having led a cushy life in the United States of America for a one-and-a-half decade, Jayasri Talapatra Gill, an IITian has been pushed to selling paintings made by her on the streets of Seattle in Washington County. Jayasri has been making a living by doing so for quite some time now. The money she earns is used to get an accommodation in one of the motels.
Her present condition came to everyone’s notice when, Prabhat Page, an Indian who has been living in Houston, Texas, came to her aid. Talking to eNewsroom, over Messenger, he said, “About 10 days ago, I was in Seattle for work when I came across her. An interaction with her revealed that she is an IITian and has worked with some big IT firms here. But due to a tryst with destiny, she lost all her documents and is having to face hardships. I sought her permission to make a video of hers, which I later posted on my Facebook page. Since then, many from the community have come forward to her aid.”
However, Prabhat is little upset with the local India media, for having reported that Jayasri was spotted begging on the streets of Seattle and it took a couple of minutes to convince him, to agree for an interaction. A rather miffed Prabhat, even resorted to deleting his FB posts related to Jayasri. He said, “Local Bengali Community requested me to remove the video, with Indian media reporting that the lady was found begging. Let me clarify, she makes a living by selling paintings and lives in a motel. The fact that she has lost her originals is making things difficult for her. She does have the photocopy of her documents. But to get things done here, you need the ID proof, which she lacks. Here even the homeless have an ID proof. The local community has come forward to her aid. We have contacted her sister back in Kolkata, who has promised to contact someone in the Ministry of External Affairs, to get her passport done.” He even went ahead to label media as Al Dajjal, the one-eyed (the lens) monster.
Prabhat, who is into tech sales and organic farming, he maintained that the ID proof is crucial to help Jayasri. He said, “We can’t claim her ID on her behalf here. She needs to hire an attorney and give a written permission to get things rolling. We are working on it, hopefully, something will happen for her good, soon.”
eNewsroom, even scanned through Jayashri’s Facebook profile, which had some posts or scripts, which makes it evident that the lady is under stress and needs help. However, the fact that she has led a cushy life and has worked with companies like Cognizant, perhaps made her turn down requests for taking refuge in shelters or seeking medical aid. Some even posted on Prabhat’s post stating that people had tried taking her to some shelter, but she refused. On being asked the same, he clarified, “Many Indians living here are perhaps measuring her case with the same yardstick.” He then questioned, “How will you feel when you are not looking good and all is not well and someone comes to your aid and asks you to go to a mental hospital or shelter homes. Come on, the lady in question is an IITian and has some self-esteem.”
Right from Jayasri’s discovery to sending off an SOS to her relatives in India, one thing that remains a mystery is the lack of her family’s interest. Repeated calls made to her sister, Maityee Talapatra, remained unattended. However, she during her interaction with Indian Express maintained that they had no clue about her condition while in the video posted by Prabhat (which has now been removed) Jayasri has claimed that no one back home takes her calls. Maityee, however, has claimed that she has sought the help from various officials to get her sister’s passport done.
(eNewsroom will keep reaching out to Maiytee Talapatra if contacted, her inputs shall be incorporated in the updated version)
Kolkata: On lazy Sunday morning, when many were snuggling into the warmth of their blanket, a handful of brave men and women took on a daunting task – Knowing their Neighbours in an(other) Kolkata. Metiabruz, located on the fringes of Kolkata, is often identified as mini-Pakistan or a place that has a high crime rate and more. But not many know the history and the importance of this place.
Metiabruz or Matiyabruz (meaning The Mud Tower), has a rich history. Its Bichali Ghat was where Nawab Wajid Ali Shah had landed with his men, with an agenda of meeting the Queen and getting justice. He had refused to sign the Lord Dalhousie’s Treaty and hence when he landed in Kolkata, he was arrested in Fort William and later put up in BNR House, where he continued to live in exile. It was during this exile period the Nawab, who was missing Lucknow, used his annual allowance of Rs 12 lakhs to recreate Lucknow within Kolkata. Years down the line, the fonts of these tales seem to have faded and the place got a new identity – the Muslim ghetto. This dock area of Kolkata, which witnessed some of the goriest gang wars in the eighties, thereby earning the reputation of being an area with high crime rate. Thus, Metiabruz, despite a rich history became a place where non-Muslims didn’t want to visit.
Recalling the experience of having walked down the lanes of the infamous Metiabruz, Arunabha Adhikari, Associate Professor of Physics at the West Bengal State University, said, “I had never visited Metiabruz prior to this. Though I never believed the general narrative of the place being a mini-Pakistan or a den for criminals, somehow, I never had the chance visit this place. And now that I have, I can say with conviction that Metiabruz defies all the myths that we have grown up hearing about it.” He then added, “I didn’t find it to be obnoxiously dirty as often projected. Nor did I find those residents of Garden Reach area lacking in education. On the contrary, I realised that the Muslims of the are are trying to break the age-old narrative, that we have grown up hearing.”
Elaborating the need of having organised the walk, Sabir Ahamed of Association SNAP said, “We had around 60 participants from different walks of life participating in this walk, most maintained that it was their debut visit to this part of Kolkata. And most of the participants had heard tales of it being a dirty locality, infested with criminals but none had the slightest idea of the rich history of this place.” The walk was organised under the aegis of Know Your Neighbour programme, a unique concept, which aims at making people other community interact with Muslims in the ghettos to do away with misconception and prejudice that exists. Locals too were geared up for this interaction. Kashif Zafar, a school teacher in Meatiabruz area said, “Dialogue between communities is a must. An initiative like this in the long run will help India unite, as it will help us bond by shedding inibitions and getting to know each other better.”
During the day long interaction, many visitors were left mesmerized by the rich history of a Muslim Ghetto and the humility of the Sibtainabad Imbara built by the pining Nawab in the memory of Lucknow’s Bara Imambara. It is here that the mortal remains of the exiled Nawab and his family rest today.
Participants at the Suriname or Balu Ghat during the Heritage Walk
“This Heritage Walk was an amazing experience, and I was feeling ashamed for not having visited the place earlier. I particularly enjoyed the Know Your Neighbour interaction, which was hosted on the premise of the Imambara. After interacting with the local people, I realized that basic character of middle class remain the same throughout, irrespective of what religion we follow. Hence I feel that such interactions if sustained will help in resurrecting the declining social fabric of India,” said social activist Dolon Ganguly. One of the participanting youth even clarified that no Pakistani flag is hoisted in Metiabruz, the green flag with a crescent that they can spot in the areas were Islamic flags.
However, despite having enjoyed the interaction, Adhikari, felt a bit embarrassed with the way the local Muslims were trying to explain their Indian roots. “I was ashamed at a point when I realized, how these locals were trying to explain their loyalty towards the country. Just because of their faith, will they have to keep explaining their contribution towards building this nation,” Adhikari rued.
Another social activist who had made it to the Heritage Walk was Ratnaboli Ray, who took on to Facebook and wrote, “A rich trove of history also dwells within the precincts of the dock area and the factories. Yet, for most inhabitants of the rest of Kolkata, Metiabruz is an ‘other’ place; where ‘they’ reside. This initiative was by Association SNAP and Ebong Alap with Abhijan Publishers also helping out.”
Ranchi/Mumbai: He was a teen when he acted in Ayan Banerjee’s award winning short film, Reflected Dreams. And now that he has turned 22, he got to work in a film that will be first screen at major film festivals. Between the two films, he has kept himself busy with Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS Returns, a successful franchisee converted into the web series format. He has also acted in a couple of television series. And before getting a filmy break, he used to live in a remote village in Jharkhand. Meet, Raquib Arshad, a resident of Bharkatta village in Giridih, Jharkhand.
A Dream Break
Raquib proudly accepts that he is a ‘gaon wala’. A self-made actor, who made it into this industry on his strength is slowly and steadily getting a firm footing in the Indian Film Industry.
“I had reached Mumbai in May, 2013. And in December, I cleared the audition for Ayan Banerjee’s short film —Reflected Dreams. This short film won awards in many film festivals and also from the Ministry of Information Bureau as well,” Raquib told eNewsroom over the phone.
Raquib, who is currently based in Mumbai, has nearly 10000 followers on Instagram. He is pursuing a Master degree from IGNOU.
Raquib Arshad
Born To Be An Actor
Raquib’s father is a doctor, one brother studying medicine, another work with Google, so how he chose to opt for acting as a career? Explaining his choice he says, “I was interested in participating in dramas, right from my school days. But I never got a chance to explore my skills. Then one day, I got a chance, but I couldn’t do anything special. After a long gap, I got my second chance and this time, luckily I played the lead role in this drama. My acting skills were much appreciated and it paved the path for my acting career in my alma mater, Subhash Public School.”
An when he shifted base to Ranchi to pursue his higher education, he continued acting. “Once in Ranchi, I began participating in dramas beyond my college theatre. I was an average student, so I decided to choose acting as a career as I love doing it. But when I told my family about my career choice, they were not ready to accept it. After sometime, when they realized, that I was firm on my decision. They allowed me to continue on the condition that I will not quit studying at any cost. So, I shifted to Mumbai, where I believed I could pursue both my acting career and education simultaneously.”
Raquib Arshad with Sanjay Mishra during their movie’s shooting at Lohardaga, Jharkhand
Beginner’s Luck?
The 22-year-old acted in the several episodes of serials—like Chidiya Ghar, Bal Gopal, Nadaniyaan, and Meri Durga. He has also tried his hands in a couple of advertisements.
After having struck gold with his short film, getting work has not been difficult for Raquib. Sharing his experience of working for Ragini MMS Return’s third lead character, a negative one under the banner of Balaji Telefilms, he says, “I play the ghost in the web series of Ragini MMS Returns. It’s a difficult role, as I have to use prosthetic make-up to get my look. It took three hours to put the make-up in place and an hour to remove it. With make-up on, I could neither eat nor sleep. It was so taxing that at times it left burns on my skin.”
The young actor’s Facebook and Instagram, has several posts and messages from co-actors appreciating his role as Anshuman and old woman.
Raquib feels that acting has nothing to do with having a great body, says Raj Kumar Rao and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are his favourite actors. He loves Anurag Kashyap as a director.
Journey Continues…
In his first feature film, Raquib got a chance to work with actor like Sanjay Mishra and Vijay Raaz. It is a film by Lal Vijay Shahdeo, which highlights naxalism related issues and extensively shot in Jharkhand. “I can’t reveal much about the story, but the story is so good and it has been made so well that the movie will be sent to world’s best film festivals,” the young actor signed off.
Ranchi: Along with Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, Raghubar Das government seems to be convincing the opposition and people of Jharkhand that the chief secretary has nothing to do in the Fodder Scam case, similar to the one in which former Chief Minister and Rastriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief is serving a term of three-and-half-year jail.
The 1983 batch officer was the District Magistrate of Chaibasa in 1990-91, during which fraudulent withdrawals had been made from the Chaibasa treasury, a similar case for which former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad is in jail. When CBI took up the fodder scam case (RC 50A/96), it sent several letters to Rajbala, to which she never replied. She has also not replied to several notices served to her by Jharkhand Chief Secretaries between the years 2003 and 2014. With all these controversies around her, Rajabala is going to retire in February end, this year.
With Lalu Prasad being put behind the bars, this matter is not just being escalated by the opposition parties but also by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)’s senior leader Saryu Roy. He has even written a letter to Raghubar Das, asking the Jharkhand Chief Minister to start a departmental proceeding against the Rajabala.
But despite the opposition raising the issue inside the State Assembly, the CM is yet to take any action against the chief secretary. However, he had issued a show cause order against Rajbala a fortnight back. But that was all Raghubar Das has done so far in the matter.
“We will keep demanding for her removal from the post of chief secretary. An inquiry into accumulation of disproportionate properties should also be initiated against her,” stressed Ajoy Kumar, President of Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) while talking to eNewsroom.
The chief secretary in her explanation letter claims that she had no idea of how the fraudulent withdrawals took place from the Chaibasa treasury. She maintains that she did not check the diaries on a daily basis and has alleged that the then treasury officer had kept her in the dark.
However, former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has made some serious allegations against the chief secretary and her role in the fodder scam and is not ready to buy her argument. He has not only demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Rajbala Verma but has also alleged that she has conspired against Lalu Prasad Yadav.
“A District Magistrate (DM) also remains the head of treasury. Every month withdrawals get made after getting DM’s signature. So how on earth, being Chaibasa’s DM for one and half year, she did not see that fraud was happening? It means, she did it in a planned way. In other words, she was getting the fraudulent withdrawal being made by others,” Babulal Marandi told eNewsroom.
Marandi also sheds light on Lalu Prasad and Rajbala’s ‘good’ relations.
“Some people have claimed that when Lalu Prasad Yadav was going to the jail for the first time, she was crying. She was crying because she was aware that she will be meeting with a similar fate. And that is why she did not reply to 23 letters sent to her from different government between the year 2003 to 2014,” JVM chief said.
He then asked, “But as a government what is Raghubar Das doing? Will it not send a wrong message to junior employees who will also not reply to notices?”
Marandi also mentioned that earlier officials have been suspended and even dismissed on failing to respond to three consecutive notices.
On the other hand, Roy, who has written a letter to the chief minister, is also not satisfied with Rajbala’s reply and stands on his demand of initiating a departmental proceeding against her.
During the assembly session on Friday, CM Das has told the house that he has yet to go through the reply and an appropriate action will be taken. He further mentioned that there is no corruption charge on the chief secretary, but certain alleged lapses.
Kolkata/Bengaluru: Are you one of those who has dreamt of owning a farm plot and harvesting your own crops, after being introduced to online games like HayDay and Farmville? Or are you one of those who keeps thinking of pesticides or colouring agents used in your veggies or fruit? Then hang on! For Kolkata’s techie, Shameek Chakravarty is all set to give wings to your dream. Thanks to Shameek and Farmizen, you can do farming of your own.
This alumna of Calcutta Boys’ School, who is stationed in Bengaluru these days, is busy networking with farmers across India to collaborate and make this dream a reality. Shameek, a software engineer by education and an entrepreneur by passion, has only one dream – “Revolutionize the way India grows its veggies and to empower both the consumers and producers”.
From virtual to real
Speaking to eNewsroom, Shameek, CEO of Farmizen shares, “I as a consumer was wary of the food that I bought for consumption. I kept looking for organic produce, but I always questioned myself about the authenticity of their claims. You see, the green revolution has actually done more harm to the Indian soil than help. The rampant use of fertilizers and pesticides has actually depleted the rich Indian soil of its natural nutrients. Farmizen is an initiative which aims at reviving the traditional organic way of producing crops, by taking help from modern technology.”
On being asked how did this idea of replicating an online game came to him, he reveals, “Online games like Farmville or HayDay are extremely popular. Many of my friends play it and are really concerned about their online farms. This popularity made me realize that there would be many who would be interested in practicing what they did online; this was when Farmizen was born. And thus we collaborated with farmers in the vicinity of Bengaluru city to help those interested to harvest their own yields.”
How does Farmizen work?
Mini-farms of the size of 600 square feet is let out to the urban farmers, who want to grow their own organic produce. These mini farms are further divided into 12 beds, where seeds of crops you want to grow are sown by the farmers. “Those renting these mini farms are free to visit their farms, help in planting seeds in nurseries or even participate in preparing humus for their farms. However, we understand that the urban working class has little time to attend their farms on a daily basis. So, they have the option of paying weekly visits while we along with the real farmers take care of the crops through the week,” he says.
He explains that the farms are not tilled using any machines or tractors barring the first time. “We don’t till the land the earthworm does it for us. When we first began with this concept of growing your own organic produce, there were no earthworms in the soil. But now the soil is rich with them. We believe in following the natural way of growing crops, which is multi-cropping. You see, the forests have the most fertile land. Is it ploughed? Is only one variety of trees grown there? No. We are following the same principle, as it doesn’t deplete the soil of a certain mineral. We don’t use pesticides. We use Neem oil sprays to protect the crops or even pant marigold flowers to ward off the unwanted pests.”
Who benefits?
It’s a win-win situation for all. While the consumers get quality organic produce at a cost, the risks of farmers are greatly reduced. “In the business of agriculture, unfortunately, the maximum risk is born by the farmers. The middlemen involved in marketing crops from farmers to consumers suffer from no real loss. Farmizen reduces this risk for farmers. They now have a fixed income, based on the number of mini farms they lease out to the urban farmers.”
“It’s a great joy to see to grow your own veggies naturally along with other like-minded people,” says Saee Bapat, a Bengaluru-based yoga trainer. Saee maintains that Farmizen has made her realize her dream of becoming a city-base part-time farmer.
Jaipur and Kolkata calling
The model has been getting a good response from across India. And Shameek and his partners are planning to reach to those interested in this model. “We are working out a partnership with our partners in Jaipur. We have received many requests from the Pink City. We plan to launch Farmizen in Jaipur by the end of this year.”
What about his hometown Kolkata? “Well, my city does feature in the top ten city list. We do have plans to come here but to be honest the city is difficult to penetrate. And it still has access to better produces in comparison to other metro cities. If you want, you can find suppliers of really good organic produce on Kolkata, even now. And I have mentioned earlier, we will be taking Farmizen to all metro cities by the end of this year, so yes, we do have plans for Kolkata,” elaborated the Maniktalla boy.
Kolkata: Twenty-one-year-old Sobhan Mukherjee, an MSc (Geography) student of Ashutosh College, has been silently installing Bandhan sanitary napkin boxes in the public toilets of Bansdhroni, Golpark and Naktala area of Kolkata. The agenda of Kolkata’s Padman is simple, women travelling or in emergency need not rush to a chemist. First the aid then the purchase.
It all began with a query
He wears no fancy attire but he has a superpower – commonsense, which many lack. So, when one of his female friends excused from a college meeting citing some emergency, he asked his friend the reason. “She told me that she had got her periods and wasn’t carrying a sanitary pad. So, she needed to go to the chemist. I found this incident very disturbing. In an emergency like situation, she had to rush to a chemist. This was when I thought, if some sanitary napkin could be stocked in public toilets, it would definitely come handy in such emergency-like situation,” narrates Sobhan.
With this came the idea of installing boxes, under the name of Bandhan in public toilets. “I began with Tridhara, toilets from transgender. Sometime back, I had played a vital role in convincing local councilors to have a separate toilet for this community within the premise of public toilets. So, I took my study table and set it up on the toilet premise. I purchased some sanitary napkins and displayed them on the table for women to use during emergencies.”
Bandhan for women
Since then there has been no looking back for him. “From October 2017 I have been meeting local councilors with this request of having a Bandhan box installed in public toilets of their area. The support has been good so far. We will be meeting the mayor soon, and that will definitely speed up the process.”
Sobhan Mukherjee with Bandhan box
The Bandhan box is nothing but a carton designed to stock sanitary napkins in public washrooms. A cheap and effective answer to the many sanitary pad vending machines installed in 150 government colleges of India under the direction of the West Bengal government in 2015. Unfortunately most lie defunct today. He says, “The vending machines in colleges are non-functional and those working have not been refueled. Also, not many girls know about the existence of such boxes. However, we are hopeful of Bandhan taking off very well, as we are using social media, making videos, creating posters to make women aware of these boxes, which can come handy during emergencies or for women who can’t really afford expensive sanitary napkins.”
He then adds, “Even today in remote areas women use sand during periods. My aim is to reach out to that woman in that remote village of India. This is just the beginning. Bandhan boxes are getting a good response. Earlier these pads were available free of cost. But now I am charging Rs 2 for each napkin. The money collected will be used to supply pads to women of remote areas.”
Padman’s message
On being asked if he has heard of Arunachalam Muruganantham and the upcoming film called Padman? He says, “Of course! I think the film will help me in a huge way. You see Arunachalam, Padman and me, all are working words removing the taboo surrounding menstruation. It’s normal. It’s not a disorder. So, why not discuss it in the open? Why this secrecy? I think this mainstream film will definitely help all those activists working toward women health in a huge way. But remember, we first need, to make women realize that napkins are a need and not luxury and under no circumstances, they should use any other substitute. If we are unable to convince them, they will keep going back to rags, sand and what not.” He also adds, “Sanitary napkins should be made cheaper for the poor women.”
Help from all quarters
Coming back to his activism, Sobhan reveals that he dedicates all his evenings to this cause and often spends from his pocket to stock up napkins in the public restrooms.
However, with people getting to know about his cause, few are coming forward to help him out. “There is a well-wisher from Manipal, who has promised to bear the cost of supplying the required amount of sanitary napkins for three months. Local sanitary napkin producers are also helping me by selling the unpackaged product at lower rates. The only catch is, I have to pack them in a plastic packet at home.”
My Mother Rocks!
Unlike Arunachalam, who faced criticism from his family and loved ones, Sobhan is getting support from all quarters. The lad from Kolkata gets his strength from his family. On being questioned about his family objecting to his off-beat social work, he laughs and says, “No. Not really. In fact, my mother helps me pack the sanitary napkins. My mother Sutapa Mukherjee, is my support system. My father also has been kind enough to volunteer at times. Had they not been supportive, I wouldn’t have reached this far.” He then adds, “I don’t have to her that her help is needed. She herself helps me as and when required.”
Bagoder (Giridih): Sixty-five-year old Dharmi Devi, resident of Malhutand village, Jamua has travelled 85 kilometers to make it to this annual gathering in Bagoder. “I have been coming every year to participate, right from 2005,” said Dharmi.
On being asked, why travel this huge a distance every year, in this cold? Even before Dharmi could reply, her companion, Shanti Devi retorts, “Mahendra Singh is dead. But that doesn’t do away what he has done for us. We shall always be indebted to him. When he was alive, we didn’t have to face any kind of harassment to get our work done in block office. We never had to grease the palms of the police. His name was enough to get them do their duty.”
But he was not the MLA of Jamua assembly segment? “He was a leader and frequently visit us. His name was enough to get our work done,” adds Shanti. It‘s not just the duo, from Malhutand who participated in the day-long 14th Martyr Day celebration of Mahendra Singh at Bagoder Bus Stand Market, around 100 from her their villager had also travelled.
Dharmi Devi and Shanti Devi at the 14th Mahendra Singh Martyr Day function in Bagoder
It was not only the elderly ladies but woman of every age were present in the 20,000 strong and disciplined crowd. For those new to Bagoder, such an admiration for a leader slain 14 years back, might seem a bit odd but not for the people of this region.
Bagoder Bus Stand Market, where the event was hosted, had come to existence because of Mahendra Singh only. When National Highway (NH-2)’s expansion was taking place, a large number of roadside shopkeepers and venders were to displace. Mahendra Singh, intervened and told the company to built a market for them. Thirty shops were constructed, which were commissioned to the shopkeepers through lottery.
Mahendra began his political career on a dramatic note. An activist since the beginning of his career, he had been implicated in false murder case. He was even given a life term sentence. However, the case was quashed in High Court. But Mahendra Singh during his jail term began an agitation over the implementation of jail manual. After coming out from jail, he fought election, but lost. In 1990, he again fought and won and represented Bagoder in Bihar and Jharkhand assemblies till his last breath.
For thirty years, no Panchayat Election was held in Jharkhand, but it was not so in Mahendra’s village Khambhra.
“Since 1978, a Gram Sabha had been functioning in the village. Later Mahendra became a legislator. He even conducted parallel panchayat polls in many villages to run the gram shabhas. He had also recommended the names of elected representatives to administration seeking their rights. Obviously, the request had been turned down. Astonishingly, in the past 40 years, no single case has been registered with the local police station from Khambhra. Earlier Mahendra Singh and now Vinod Singh, with the help of Gram Sabha solves all the issues and differences within the community,” says, Amit Raja, a political analyst to eNewsroom.
Youths, representing AISA and RYA also participated in good numbers
“You should check out the community Hall there. It has facilities at par with deluxe hotel, but is was constructed at the half expenditure than other community centers in Jharkhand,” adds Raja.
“Mahendra ji was always of the opinion that leaders should be staying in the village. He believed, if we wins on the votes of villagers, then we can very well stay there only,” Vinod Singh, who won twice after his father’s assassination.
“Mahendra had led many protests and movements, both in United Bihar and Jharkhand. Be it Markachcho, Koyalkaro or Telodih, he was known for standing for people’s right,” says, Laxmi, a senior journalist.
After the assassination of the three times MLA on January 16, 2005, the case was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But India’s premier investigation agency could not reach on a conclusion on the political murder of a mass leader.
People wore caps, embossed with, “I am Mahendra Singh”
“He was not an opposition party leader, but he was strongest opposition voice. He also never took any gifts in any assembly functions and had always opposed salary hike for MLAs,” informs Kamal Chaparia, senior journalist.
This year, unlike others, a healthy number of youths representing All India Student Association (AISA) and Youth Revolutionary Association (YRA), and teenage girls were present too. CPI-ML national General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, former MLA and son Vinod Singh and two MLAs Raj Kumar Yadav of CPI-ML and Arup Chattarjee of MSS were present along with several other party leaders in the function.
During the event, the one slogan which has been chanted over the years, can be heard this time also by his party supporters and admirers was, “Mahendra Singh Tum Zinda Ho, Khaito Aur Khalihano Mei, Janata Ke Armano Mei (Mahendra Singh, you are alive in the fields, grounds, and in the minds of people).”
